"Mom… Help! Mom… Help! Mom… Help!"
Again and again my own words kept echoing inside of my head as I sat in the passenger seat of a black four-door truck. Each time the memory of my futile cry for help had itself repeated in my mind I was painfully reminded of each and every mistake I made. Every blunder and problem I caused. Everything I had done wrong. It all led up to the awful thing that had happened… that I was responsible for: my mom being taken from me by the Decepticons.
"Mom… Help!"
Strike one: I had intentionally disobeyed her. I ignored her warnings, only being worried about getting in immediate trouble with her, and went through the old part of town to save time. There it was easy to get jumped, mugged, and left for dead. If it wasn't for Arcee stopping that man and saving me that's exactly what would have happened. I got lucky then.
"Mom… Help!"
Strike two: I made a dangerous mistake. Ironhide had come to me for help in searching for Arcee, but I made the dim-witted decision of bringing along something that would've been easily linked to my relations with the Autobots; my notebook full of sketches of each of the friendly Transformers. The Decepticons saw it and saw that I was their friend; a potential target.
"Mom… Help!"
And finally, strike three: I had shown the Decepticons my family. During my initial kidnapping conducted by Starscream I had regretfully called to my mother for help. She would not have been able to do anything then, yet I still called for her. All I did was give the Decepticons one more person to use and manipulate against the Autobots; a pawn in this horrible game of war.
It was my fault. I was the key element in everything leading up to the event. I had done everything wrong. I was to blame. It was all my fault.
"It's my fault..."
"It ain't yer fault."
I was startled at Ironhide's sudden statement, but I quickly realized that I had vocalized my last thought.
I turned to look at the holoform of an older grey-haired man in a red t-shirt and a leather jacket who appeared to be driving Ironhide's vehicle mode. I narrowed my eyes at him. "What do you mean it's not my fault?" I demanded. "Just look at what happened! Look what I've DONE! I'm a hazard to anyone around me!" With each statement I kept indicating to myself for emphasis.
The holoform moved his head toward me and just seemed to stare. "You don't really think that, do ya?" he asked.
I let out a huff. "Would I be saying it if I only half believed it?" I retorted. I leaned back into my seat and folded my arms over my chest, staring out the windshield at the back of Optimus' sixteen-wheeler form. "What difference does it make? I was the one that triggered all of this stuff to happen. I'm to blame for this." I was surprised when my eyes were beginning to sting. Instantly I turned to look out the side window to hide anything that indicated that I was about to cry. I said my next words slowly in an attempt to control the reaction. "The… the Decepticons have taken her… and," I tried to breathe but I took it in too sharply. I couldn't hold my feelings in anymore. "And doing G** knows what to her!"
I shouted those last words and instantly buried my head in my hands, bawling loudly. I sounded like a little girl who had her stuffed bear snatched from her.
Only it wasn't a stuffed toy that was taken from me… it was my mom; the only family I had left. I was mad. I was FURIOUS! I was angry at the Decepticons for taking her, but I was mostly angry at myself for letting such a thing happen. I was just AWFUL. I didn't care if Ironhide hated me for crying… I deserved it. I deserved any negative feelings that any of the Autobots felt toward me, no matter what it was.
"Ellie…"
Ironhide was suddenly cut off by a sequential beeping sound that came from within the cab. There was a click and I heard Optimus' voice. I quickly stopped crying and wiped my face on my sleeve, ready to listen.
"Ironhide," the Autobot leader stated in a commanding tone.
"Ironhide here, Prime," the 'bot responded loudly.
"Prowl just got visual on Bumblebee," Optimus told him. "I want you to go ahead and leave Ellie with him, and then I need you to scope out the area and make sure that it's secure. Can you do that?"
The holoform nodded, even though Prime couldn't see him. "Got it, Prime." There was another click, severing the connection, and I heard Ironhide's truck form automatically shift gears. "Hang on, kid," he warned me.
I barely had time to process what he said when the truck suddenly lurched forward, the unexpected force pressing me against the seat. Ironhide broke from the four-vehicle Autobot line and sped on the wrong side of the road past Optimus and Prowl, who were in lead of the small convoy.
I looked over the hood to watch for Bumblebee. We were practically in the middle of nowhere, some place between a nearby town and the forest where the Autobot Base was hidden. On the right side of the road were fenced off farmlands with cows staring at us as we passed. The other side had thick trees that were on a downward slope from the asphalt.
I noticed a section of the trees that had been shoved and snapped back, almost like bowling pins that refused to go down when they were hit. The "bowling ball" was a small yellow and black Camero that even from the distance that Ironhide still had to cover I could see was badly damaged.
The weapons specialist stopped his truck on the left side of the road and the passenger door automatically opened. Before I could do it myself my seatbelt clicked off and quickly retracted.
"Get out," Ironhide told me gruffly.
I hesitated before doing as I was told. As soon as I closed the door Ironhide revved his truck engine and sped off to follow Optimus' orders.
Without waiting another moment I turned my attention to the downed Autobot. Around him were groceries from the store that were out and scattered, the plastic bags mostly violently ripped open.
"Bumblebee!"
The black and yellow car shifted slightly. "Ellie?" he groaned questioningly.
I ran down the slope and moved closer to get a better look at him. I lost my breath when I saw the all different injuries and damages that he had. The tires appeared slashed, like someone had repeatedly taken a knife to each one. Across the hood were large deep claw marks and there was a crack on the windshield, which I was surprised hadn't just blown out into pieces of glass. There was also a cracked headlight that was hanging out of its socket by a single wire.
But the worst was the driver side door. It appeared that something had dug in its claws and ripped from his side, leaving it to hang with thick purple liquid flowing from broken tubes.
"Oh my G**," I said quietly, still gaping. "Man, are you okay?"
"Dunno," Bumblebee mumbled tiredly. "Is my door still attached?"
I gulped softly. "More or less."
The Camero sighed. "Great," he muttered.
"You don't sound good," I told him. "How much of that purple stuff did you lose?"
"Purple stuff?" he asked. I was surprised when he began moving and I could hear something that sounding an engine straining to start.
"No, no, no, don't transform," I told him, stepping forward and reaching up to set my hands on the fender just above his tire. "You could hurt yourself even more. Look…" I quickly shed my green jacket and carefully climbed closer to see the leakage, "let me just see if I can stop this bleeding." I stood where it felt comfortable on the downed trees and examined the wound to figure out how to cover it.
I nearly fell down when the Autobot suddenly giggled. "Hey… did you get taller?" he asked lazily.
I looked at him, bewildered. "What?"
"Well," Bumblebee started, almost casually, "first time I saw you, you only went up to my thigh." He sighed, and it sounded like he could have been smiling. "But now, I can see your face without having to bend down. Gee… as far as humans go, you're pretty cute."
I instantly felt my cheeks heat up, but I tried to shake it off. "No, Bumblebee," I told him seriously, attempting to ignore his comment, "I didn't get any taller. I had to climb up so I could get to your door, okay? Now do me a favor and just, eh, hold still."
"Will do, Captain Cutie."
This time I let my face turn red, but I did my best to focus on the problem at hand. I needed to stop the purple stuff from coming out, or at least slow it down, even though I didn't know what it was.
I barely finished doing what I could when Prowl, Optimus, and Ratchet had stopped on the nearby road and transformed. They began heading toward us, but the medical officer was the first to reach us.
"Primus, Bumblebee, what happened to you?" Ratchet demanded as he began inspecting the damages, even sprouting a device from his arm that he moved across the little Camero, making small beeping and clicking sounds.
"Hi, Mom," Bumblebee moaned a little happily. "No, I'm fine… just played a little rough during basketball practice."
Ratchet scowled. "Blast it!" he growled, sweeping the device over my crude patch job. "He's lost too much Energon to even think straight! If we're not careful he could overheat his processor! Listen, kid, DON'T TRANSFORM!"
"I figured that much," I muttered.
"Why can't I move my legs?" Bumblebee inquired.
"I don't get it," I told Ratchet. "He was talking just fine a minute ago."
"Loss of bodily fluids in both humans and Autobots can cause confusion pretty quickly," Ratchet explained, testing the partially disembodied door and producing gasps from the Camero. He turned to me to me, raising an optic ridge. "Good job on the patch."
"Whatever," I sighed.
"Ratchet, your evaluation?" Optimus asked, staring at the medical 'bot expectantly.
"Could be better, Prime," Ratchet reported without turning away from Bumblebee. "I can't do anything here. He's been losing Energon fluids and is what the humans would call 'loopy'."
"I saw a kitty and a birdie today," Bumblebee said suddenly. "They didn't like me too much."
"That's an understatement," Ratchet grumbled.
But Prowl looked surprised. "'Kitty and birdie'?" he asked, taking a step forward. He turned to his leader. "Optimus, don't you recall Bumblebee mentioning 'Cassettes' in his initial distress call?"
Optimus nodded. "Indeed."
"Prime, can we do this later?" Ratchet asked with a hint of urgency. "We need to get Bumblebee back to base if I'm going to save him."
"Of course," Optimus said understandingly. He turned around and suddenly transformed into his vehicle form. "Ratchet, Prowl, hook him up – but carefully. I'll tow him back to base with me."
"Yes sir," Prowl acknowledged.
I stepped back to allow the Autobots to retrieve their fallen comrade, going to either side of him and lifting him from the trees that suspended him from the ground.
"Now listen, Bumblebee," Ratchet told him, "I need you to stay still. We're gonna get you to base and we're gonna get you fixed up. You'll be yourself in no time."
The little Camero was taken down from the trees and set down with the front tires up on the hitching portion of Optimus' truck form, secured by chains and prepared to go without falling off.
"Prowl," Optimus stated, "salvage what supplies you can and bring them back with you to the base. Ratchet and I will move ahead to get Bumblebee to the repair bay."
"I'll stay here and help out," I told them seriously.
"No," Optimus countered quickly, "it's too dangerous. The Decepticons could possibly return."
"They won't," Prowl assured him. "They already have Janet and there is no logical reason for them to go after Ellie."
I looked at Ratchet who in turn was looking at Optimus, waiting for a reply.
Finally, the trucker let out a mechanical sigh. "Permission to remain here with Prowl is granted," he said quietly. "But please try and make it quick… we can't have humans spotting you either."
"Alright, I get it!" I growled loudly, causing everyone to jump slightly in surprise. "Just go and find out where Mom is!"
I sat on my heels with my hands on my lap at the foot of the patient recharge berth in the repair bay… watching. A yellow and black Camero sat in front of me, his front faced toward me, and the medical 'bot Ratchet dabbing at the leakage of Energon with a large towel. My jacket lay to the side, dyed a shiny purple-blue color from the Cybertronian body fluids.
But I didn't care about it. I was more focused on my Autobot friend. Bumblebee's wounds were my fault and I wanted to be sure that he would recover perfectly and that Ratchet would do his job right.
The medbot finally set down the towel by my jacket and reached for some nearby clippers big enough for an Autobot to use. He carefully began snipping and preening Bumblebee's exposed wires, getting them ready to be replaced. I continued to watch eagerly, waiting as if something was going to happen.
"Ellie…"
Not long before Ratchet had been able to stop the Energon from flowing out and had apparently done a transfusion for the little yellow 'bot's missing supply. I looked at Bumblebee expectantly after he had spoken.
"Erm… not that I'm not happy about you being worried about me and all," he continued, "but you're kinda making me nervous."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "So?" I asked.
The yellow car shifted slightly, causing a grunt from Ratchet for the small inconvenience.
"What, is it illegal for me to be worried about my FRIEND?" I prodded. "Just because I'm a lowly human I can't show concern for a different species?"
"No, but—"
"It's the way you're staring at him," Ratchet told me, holding Bumblebee firmly with a palm over the top of his body while he worked. "It's almost like one of those massive Guardian 'bots back on Cybertron; staring at you like they're staring 'straight to your spark' kinda thing. One of my best friends is a Guardian 'bot, but it's still unnerving."
I growled slightly. "So what do you want me to do?" I asked expectantly.
"Well," the medbot began as he continued to work, "considering the fact that the patient is nervous during his treatment, and you being a contributor to it, I believe it may be better for him if you just left for the time being."
I frowned even more. "Fine," I huffed, standing up.
Ratchet set down the tools and reached over to help me to the floor. I wrapped my arms around his thumb and he raised his hand, lifting me from the berth with my legs dangling.
Once I was firmly on the ground I just put my hands in my pockets in my pockets as the medic stood up straight and went back to the repair job.
"I appreciate the concern, Ellie," Bumblebee called before the door slid closed behind me.
I stopped and looked back toward the door. I sighed. That was only more proof that the Autobots thought I was a problem.
I shook my head. Why? Why was I such a liability? Why couldn't I do anything right?
I moaned and put my hands over my eyes. "Ugh… what am I going to do?"
